Love Life
by angel0wonder
Summary: No amount of love lab research could have prepared Riko and Maki for reality. Now years later they meet again, Maki a divorced single mother, and Riko recovering from a string of failed relationships. Maybe together they can finally figure out this love stuff?
1. Chapter 1

[Maki]

Silverware clinked against plates at the dinner table. The sound was very sharp and pronounced in the dull silence of the dining room. It was a very large table, much too large for the mere three occupants, one of which was just a four year old boy.

"Mommy, I want more!" He exclaimed, jarring the two other adults from their stiff eating. The woman at the table smiled softly at the request.

"Sure thing, Makio." Maki said, leaning over the table to place some extra food on her son's plate.

The man at the head of the table grunted, not looking at her. "Aren't you just spoiling him?"

Maki faltered for a moment, before sitting back in her place. Silence fell on the dinner table once again.

This has been the case much too often as of late, Maki thought. For the past two years, actually. Any time she was in the same room as her husband she felt chilly, like she was with a stranger. Which was all wrong. He was her husband! And they were deeply, passionately in love!

Or at least… Maki told herself they were. This was not quite how she had pictured love would be like, but she was sure she could work it out easily!

"So how was your day, darling?" Maki asked, forcing herself to sound cheerful and interested. Her husband shot her an odd look as he finished chewing.

"Fine." He had a handsome face, with a head of black curly hair. No one had quite seen the resemblance, but he was obviously the very real reincarnation of Daki! Or so Maki liked to claim. Back in college when Maki had first met him, bumping into him in a hallway just like she had always fantasized, she was convinced it had been destiny!

It wasn't until much later—after Maki had dropped out of college to marry him two months into their relationship—that Maki had the thought that perhaps she had let this particular impulse carry her a little too far.

"Makio and I had a lot of fun today, didn't we, Makio?" Maki tried to stir up conversation again, flashing a smile at their young son. Makio nodded his head very vigorously up and down. "I was thinking once he starts grade school, we could enroll him in soccer. What do you think, darling?"

"Natsuo…" His voice sounded strained as he stared at his plate. "I...can't do this anymore."

"Hm?" Maki's heartbeat went crazy even as outwardly she remained calm and oblivious. "You can't finish your dinner?"

His hand tightened around his chopsticks until his fists were trembling. "I want a divorce."

Maki's heart went from crazy to utterly silent in the span of a few seconds.

"Mommy, what's a 'divorce'?" Makio asked innocently, canting his head. Maki stared at the boy for a few moments, face perfectly calm. She stood up from the table and picked him up.

"Did you not hear me?" Her husband asked from behind her, voice nearly choking as she ignored him.

"Not now, darling." He looked surprised that Maki seemed completely unfazed by what he said. "Come on Makio, I'm going to put on a movie for you, okay?"

"Ehhhh, don't wanna!" Makio complained as she led him away from the room. She reassured him that it would be his absolute favorite and he brightened up immediately after, forgetting all about the tense dinner. Maki set him up in his room and left the door open a crack in case he called for her. She stood there for a few moments, staring blankly at her son through the crack in the door.

How dare… _How dare_ he bring that up in front of their _son_? Anger and disgust overtook her numbness, and she turned around and strolled back to the dining room table where her… _husband_ was waiting for her.

When he spotted her again he looked nervous, as her usual calm was more icy as she looked at him and he could've sworn a stiff breeze was present in the room.

"Darling," Maki said, without any of the forced sweetness she usually injected into her voice when she spoke to him. "Mind explaining to me what you meant?"

"What's there to explain?" Her husband asked with a tight voice. "I can't do this with you anymore. I want a divorce."

Maki just looked at him, hurt in her eyes despite her anger. "I don't understa—"

"It's obvious why, isn't it?!" He suddenly snapped, making her peer down the hall where her son's bedroom door was still ajar.

"Please keep your voice down." Maki didn't want their son to hear this.

"Why should I? I'm tired of playing house with this pretend 'family'!"

Maki blinked in surprise. "But… we are a family."

"It doesn't feel like it." He growled, pushing aside his plate of food as if he was disgusted. "I feel like we only got married to fulfill some… sick fantasy you have."

Maki felt like he punched her in the chest. "Wha…"

"Face it Natsuo, it all happened too fast. The spark was gone within the first week of marriage. We don't even sleep together anymore, for crying out loud!"

Maki just listened, mouth slack as he finally voiced the reality of the situation. But still, a tiny part of her denied. Who cares if they didn't sleep together anymore? Sex wasn't something she cared about. She could admit that she had been very curious about it at first, but she had quickly come to realize that it was an unpleasant experience that only lasted a few minutes.

But oddly enough, she felt more alarmed than sad or surprised. She had spent so much time carefully crafting her ideal existence and the ideal picturesque family she had always envisioned having. But it might as well have been a house of cards, because it was coming tumbling down the moment someone pointed out that no foundation existed for it.

"We've been married for five years…" Maki's voice shook with repressed anger, even as she stared helplessly at the wall in front of her. "Why now? Why end it now?"

He shifted in his seat, finally looking uncomfortable. "I've… met someone else." He admitted. Maki moved before she even realized it, and only felt her palm sting after she slapped him across his face. He slowly turned his head back to look at her, eyes cold and unmoving even as he stared at the offended tears forming in her eyes.

"It's time you face it, Natsuo. What you and I have… is _not love."_

[Riko]

Riko groaned as she poked her disheveled head from under her thick covers. She spotted her tank top near her and she groggily grabbed it and slipped it on. A loud clatter from outside her bedroom made her jump. "Inori?" Riko called just before she yawned loudly, standing up and stretching her arms over her head. There was another clattering sound and she peered out the door curiously. "What's going on…?"

There was a cardboard box set up in the middle of her small apartment filled with her girlfriend's belongings. Well, currently filling up with her girlfriend's belongings, since a new item was thrown into the box as Riko stared at it.

"Oh, so you're finally awake?" An angry voice asked, and Riko looked at her girlfriend, a petit girl with long dark hair. "Took you long enough to notice."

"You're leaving?" Riko asked in confusion.

"Yeah!" The other woman snapped, evidently pissed.

"Oh…" Riko just had a blank look on her face.

"'Oh'? Is that all you have to say for yourself?" She looked immediately offended and hurt by Riko's lack of reaction. "Don't you care about me at all?"

Riko instantly winced and walked forward, hands outstretched to offer the woman a comforting hug. "Of course I care about you, Inori!" But her girlfriend slapped her offending hands away, eyes brimming with tears.

"Who is she?!" She demanded, looking at Riko with pleading eyes.

Riko looked aghast and bewildered by the accusation. "What? Who is who?"

"Who is she? The one you've been cheating on me with!" The much shorter woman pointed a trembling finger at Riko. "Last night you called some other girl's name! You called me 'Maki'!" Inori looked a second away from breaking down.

Riko's jaw dropped open at the name that she hasn't heard for years. She stared at her girlfriend, searching her eyes. "Maki..?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Riko!"

Riko shook her head slowly. "She's… Oh for crying out loud, I'm not cheating on you!" Riko exclaimed pleadingly, reaching out for the other woman's hand again. But the hand was yanked out of her grasp.

"Maybe not. But you love her, don't you?" Inori asked, tears streaming down her face. Riko's eyes were wide in the face of those words combined with those tears. She felt like she had dug her own grave, and her throat was closing up so fast that she couldn't get words out to defend herself.

"And you don't love me," Inori tried to keep her voice strong but it came out as a whimper instead. "Even though we've been together for six months." She shook her head and picked up the large cardboard box, struggling a little to balance it in her arms. "I'm done." She headed for the door, half hoping Riko would gallantly stop her and beg her to stay. Hoping that the tall woman would hug her from behind and say the words she has longed to hear all these months.

Riko finally seemed to find her voice when she heard her apartment door open and she whirled around. "Inori!" The other woman stopped and looked back at her hopefully. "I…" Riko _hated_ that hopeful look. It made her feel absolutely dirty. "I'm sorry." Riko finally said, voice miserable, but honest in the apology. "I'm really sorry I wasted your time."

Inori's eyes bloomed with renewed hurt and she shook her head and left, slamming the door behind her. The whole apartment rattled slightly at the force of the slam and Riko flinched. She continued to gaze at the door for a few moments before she plopped down on the couch behind her, covering her face with her hands. How did that go so wrong so fast?

"Maki…" She sighed. Even after she hasn't seen her for so many years, how was it that girl still managed to screw her up?

Her heartbreak wasn't something she liked to think about. When Maki had squealed over the phone to her in the middle of college that she was getting married to her first boyfriend, Riko had dropped the phone in horror. Riko had felt more devastated by the news than she thought she'd be. She felt… betrayed by her best friend. It was at that moment— too late, much too late— that Riko realized that she had been in love with Maki.

And now, she couldn't even keep a damn relationship together for more than a few months at a time, all because Maki was a stupid, selfish, self-absorbed woman whose impulse took her away from Riko without looking back once! That stupid, _stupid_ girl!

Riko's teeth clenched painfully as she resisted the urge to cry and pinched her own cheeks. Why was it, in the face of her breakup with her girl… _ex-_girlfriend… she was crying over her ex best friend who she hasn't seen in years?

Riko sniffed and stood up, ravenously craving a strong cup of coffee. She had some _serious_ love issues.

* * *

A/N: Yo. Not sure how long this'll be. Probably short, like three or five-ish chapters. Rated T for now, haven't decided yet. Should be fun.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Sorry for the delay, kind peoples! I just had the thought that maybe I should see how the anime ends before I proceeded.

* * *

Chapter 2

Nagi's eye twitched when he discovered his balled up friend cocooned in her sheets. "Oi, what do you think you're doing?" He asked with barely controlled patience.

"Riko's not here right now. This is a fairy," Riko's despondent muffled voice originated from the mass of sheets.

"What an unfortunate fairy," Nagi deadpanned, shaking his head. He reached over and yanked the sheets off of the woman. "How long are you going to stay in this funk, you useless person!"

Riko growled as she maintained her hold on the sheets. "Leave me alone! Why are you even here?"

"Suzu sent me!" Nagi growled back as he attempted to wrestle the sheets from her hands, but she had always been more aggressive than him. "Do always like to make your friends worry?"

"Of course not!" Riko kicked the man in the stomach, making him let go of his end of the blanket. "I'm just trying to take a nap, jesus!"

Nagi grunted in displeasure, rubbing his stomach. They were getting too old for this. "This is all you've been doing lately. Working, then disappearing into your lady cave."

"Because I'm _tired_." Riko threw the sheets over her head once again, cursing his name.

Nagi sighed and rubbed his slight stubble. "_Fine._ Suzu's here too. She's going to make you something to eat out of the goodness of her heart and you better come out of bed and thank her properly!"

Riko's form stiffened under the covers at the mention of her other friend and she eventually nodded her head. Or at least Nagi assumed she was nodding her head, having only seen the covers shifting a bit where her head was supposed to be.

"Good," He stood there awkwardly for a few moments before turning around to head out of her room. "I'm going to play with your games now!"

Riko grumbled about how the jerk only came over to play games even as she rolled out of bed, motivated by the thought of not letting him beat her high score. She also felt kind of happy that her friends were over to forcefully cheer her up. She _had_ been in something of a funk ever since her last breakup, and she was getting on her own nerves. There were benefits to living in the same apartment building as Nagi and Suzu. Although in the back of her mind the fact that Nagi and Suzu were a couple bothered her a little. Being constantly single, she was feeling more and more like a third wheel, even if the other two didn't treat her as such.

She spotted her long-time friend Suzu in the kitchen and smiled. "Hey Suzu," she greeted, eyeing the other woman to make sure she wasn't handling anything that was breakable. While Suzu wasn't nearly as clumsy as she used to be, she still had her moments.

"Hi, senpai!" The petit woman waved whole heartily. She still hadn't stopped calling Riko "senpai" as a habit, but the other woman didn't really mind. As long as Suzu didn't call her "Wine" she could call her whatever she wants! "Sorry for intruding, Nagi really wanted to check up on you!"

"Hey!" Nagi protested from the couch, game controller already in his hands. He was embarrassed that his girlfriend recognized his thoughtfulness.

Riko chuckled. "Well thanks, Suzu, you're very thoughtful!"

"_Hey_!" Nagi protested once more, this time annoyed that his thoughtfulness wasn't being acknowledged at all.

Riko rolled her eyes as she jumped over the back of the couch and punched the man in the arm. "Shut up, Nagi. You're a good guy too!"

"Hmph." He handed her a controller. He never did like the 'nice guy' label he had been pinned with since middle school. "We'll see how nice you think I am after I beat you."

Riko smiled genuinely. There was no better cure to a heart with a bad mood than spending time with friends. They hung out for a while, Suzu eventually joining them on the couch to cheer Riko on, much to her boyfriend's dismay. Though Riko's heart really wasn't in it.

Eventually Riko sighed and said what was really on her mind. "I think I'll try dating again," she muttered aloud, eyes still focused on her screen.

There was a pause before Nagi's sardonic voice spoke up. "I thought you've never stopped trying?"

Then words pierced Riko's stomach dramatically and she slumped in her spot.

"Nagi, that wasn't very nice of you!" Suzu scolded the man before Riko managed to reach over with her fist. The dark haired man smiled sheepishly at his girlfriend. "Senpai, I think it's a good thing you're so tenacious when it comes to finding love!" Her big brown eyes burned passionately as she regarded her long-time idol.

Riko just laughed uncomfortably. "Something like that, I guess." One of her legs was bouncing up and down and she willed it to stop. "Though I guess it'd be more accurate to say I'm tenacious when it comes to getting over my first love," Riko said quietly. On the screen her character exploded.

Suzu looked crestfallen by her admittance, and Riko quickly backpedalled to get her smile back. "Not that it's a big deal or anything!"

Nagi snorted. "You've only been hung up on Maki-san for _years_, or course it isn't a big deal."

"It hasn't been _that _long," Riko grumbled. "… Has it?"

"Yes it has!" Nagi snapped, putting down his game controller to grind his knuckles against the side of Riko's head.

"If only you just talked to her, maybe you'd be able to find some closure," Suzu sniffed, eyes looking about ready to tear up at the thought that Riko was still quietly suffering over the loss of her friend getting married. She idly wished they had covered this in their love lab research so many years ago.

Riko pushed Nagi's hand away, bothered by this conversation. "Like I even know where Maki is," she pointed out. "Besides, I'm sure she doesn't need me to ruin her happiness out of the blue like that."

Suzu frowned at her stubbornness. "She'd be so happy to hear from you though, I know it! Sayo or Eno probably know her number!"

A grimace tugged at Riko's lips but she forced her lips up in an awkward smile. "Maybe," she gave in, never wanting to disappoint the petit woman. The idea of talking to Maki again sent a thrill of happiness as well as fear in her chest. She just didn't know how she would react if she came across Maki again, so she just avoided thinking about it. "Anyway, I was thinking of going out tonight. You two wanna come?"

"Sorry, but we've got plans," Nagi said self-importantly. He put his arm around Suzu, making the woman blush demurely at the contact. "Tonight is our Anniversary!" He announced with a big dopey grin.

"Already?" Riko sounded surprised. "Wow, congrats! I can never remember things like anniversaries, sorry!"

"Well, that's because you've never been in a relationship long enough to have one!" Nagi cracked a second before Riko furiously punched him in the face. Some things never changed.

[=]

Natsuo walked down the street, evening sky down casting her already sullen mood. She had just dropped her son off at his father's house. It was her ex-husband's turn to have him. Maki's heart ached at the thought that she wouldn't see her son for a two weeks. The joint custody of their son was something temporary they had arranged while they worked through their divorce, and as a mother it was a constant source of anxiousness. She didn't want to coddle him, of course— well, that was a lie, she would LOVE to coddle the boy—she just didn't feel comfortable leaving her son in the presence of a man who was a cheater. Even if he was his father.

Her thoughts took a bitter turn and she ran a hand through her hair. She stopped walking for a moment, reflecting sadly that she couldn't remember the last time she had a happy thought. She was just… tired. Tired from the grueling divorce and from trying to put something of a life together after Plan A failed. She had given everything up for her marriage. For her "love". She had dropped out of college to be a full-time housewife. She lost contact with many of her friends. She had given up a position at her father's lingerie company.

And for what? For her "sick fantasy" as he had put it?

"Hah~, Natsuo," Maki said quietly to herself. "You have to try not to be so negative!" Her inner sunshine enthusiast smacked her brooding inner self. "C'mon Natsuo! You're now a newly single woman, out on the town! The world is your oyster! Except not slimy!"

Her blue eyes looked around, taking in her surroundings for the first time. She didn't know exactly what she was looking for until her eyes found a bar across the street. Her eyes lit up as she spotted it. She'd never been to a place like that before, but according to her trashy romance novels, they were the ideal place to forget your worries!

A fantasy was already playing in her mind: Strutting into the bar wearing a revealing cocktail dress, smoothly asking for a drink. Then a man would approach her; but he was wielding a knife! She would deftly knock the weapon from his hands and pin him to the ground with a ridiculously tall heel. He would look up at her in awe and comment on the silkiness of her legs and then they would fall in love and—

Natsuo furiously shook her head, telling herself that she should never trust a thing those books told her ever again! Her ridiculous fantasies had put her in this situation in the first place, she had to resist them! But perhaps it was worth a try, and Maki was nothing but curious when it came to things she's never experienced before. She just needed to keep her expectations within the realm of reaon and she would be fine. She only hesitated a moment before she cut across the street, eyes brimming in anticipation for what awaited her inside this mysterious new place.

The door dinged as she pushed it open, poking her head inside. It was a big open space with plenty of people either milling about casually with drinks in their hands or dancing to the music that was playing not too obnoxiously loud. The bar was across the room, a wall of glass bottles illuminated tastefully with light. Maki strolled inside, trying to blend in. She casually posed a few times as she made her way across the room, attracting a few odd looks that she failed to notice.

When she made it to the bar she leaned upon it, flicking her bangs and flashing the bartender her best sparkling smile as she said "I'll have an alcoholic beverage, por favor," in her best classy voice.

The woman manning the bar looked unimpressed. "What kind?"

The sparkles around her disappeared completely and Maki broke down crying out of nowhere, making the woman jump in surprise. "I can't do _anything_ right!" She cried, pounding the bar with a dainty fist.

"Something strong I see." The bartender said casually as she fetched her drink. The woman smiled to herself as she prepared the drink. She never thought she'd see Natsuo here of all places. This might prove interesting. Hopefully the seemingly distressed woman was too preoccupied to recognize her, it'll be more fun that way.

[=]

Riko hummed a tune to herself as she got ready for the night. She would be going by herself, and it was probably better that way. Tonight being Nagi and Suzu's two year anniversary of dating had her grinning on the inside and she wondered if Nagi would finally pop the question. She didn't help the guy pick out a ring all those weeks ago for nothing!

She was happy for them, but it was all the more reason to go out and find herself a partner. She would need a date to their wedding. And she knew that when the two got married, she couldn't exactly hang out with them whenever she wanted anymore. She didn't want to be the single friend and tag-along with a married couple, she would feel even worse.

As Riko applied some light makeup to her face, she idly wondered if she should try to date a man this time around. She mentally shrugged. Whatever ended up happening, she would just go with it. If she found herself attracted to either a man or woman, it didn't matter too much to her.

Besides, there was no denying that she positively _thrived_ with women. In middle school she had only glimpsed an inkling of the effect she had on her peers when she discovered her dreaded nickname "The Wild One". When she entered high school, her classmates had gotten much bolder, and Riko was the target of many confessions.

And poor kind-hearted Riko, who always had trouble letting people down, had awkwardly accepted several confessions, rocketing her reputation into pure legendary status. Honestly, she hadn't _meant_ to incidentally date so many girls at a time, it just… turned out that way! None of Maki's ridiculous love lab research taught her how to break up with someone! Not to mention she had a huge guilt complex that made her averse to disappointing any of the girls she dated and often resulted in lying more often than not. A habit she was trying very hard to overcome at the time.

Maki herself had attended a different school, but they kept in touch regularly. Maki was always so very excited to hear about Riko's love exploits. Well, at least she wasn't lying to Maki about that anymore. She really did turn out to be something of a "love sniper". Just not with boys.

It was in college when Riko decided that she would focus on her studies and not get distracted by relationships! She longed to spend more time with Maki, whom she only saw once or twice every other month due to their very different schedules. When Maki announced that she finally found a boyfriend, Riko felt hurt and offended. Yes, she knew it was highly hypocritical of her to feel that way considering her own exploits, but she fancied herself one of the only ones who new Maki's true side. She stayed in denial for too long, until Maki told her she was getting married. And well… you know the heartbreak that ensued on Riko's end.

After that point Riko snapped, fully embracing her Wild One status. She had become fully aware of the effect she had on women and wielded that effortless charm like a bolt of lightning in her grasp. She became a force to be reckoned with when she even _sort of_ got over her guilt complex. Riko has never failed a conquest.

But she failed _every single _attempted relationship. Riko had never initiated a breakup with a single person. The ones she dated were always the one to break up with her. It was something Riko just couldn't fully wrap her head around. After a while she figured it was because she's never moved on from Maki. She's never felt a connection to anyone like the one she had with Maki. No one could compare to that batshit insane girl that she had lost contact with immediately after that stupid marriage.

But that wasn't going to stop Riko from trying to move on! Her heart needed a reprieve from this bullshit. She gave herself an approving look in the mirror before heading out. She had dressed herself in a simple white dress shirt and a loosened black tie. Her long hair was down and fell around and past her shoulders. She had spent a very long time growing her hair out and was very proud of it. She would be giving Maki a run for her money if she saw her now. She took to the stairs of her apartment building and sighed. She really needed to stop thinking about Maki.

It was time to unleash The Wild One _Evolved_… Actually, she couldn't think about her college-earned nickname without cringing, so she ignored that thought.

She decided to drop by her old hang-out, a bar not too far from her workplace that a friend owned.

Several people recognized her right off the bat when she entered, holding up a drink or calling out her name. She attracted the eyes of many a woman and Riko grinned charmingly, taking note of the hearts forming in several people's eyes as she did so.

"Yo, Sayo!" She greeted the bartender jovially as she plopped herself down into one of the stools.

"Kurahashi," Sayo greeted, her grin looking a little more devious than usual. Tall, dark, and dressed to impress, Sayo looked totally different from her toned down glasses-wearing middle school self, even if her scheming personality remained untouched. "Haven't seen you in a while. What a pleasure to have you here on this particular night at this particular time!"

Riko shrugged a little sheepishly. "I've been working. But I'm ready to have a little fun now."

"Is that so?" Sayo almost sounded gleeful, making Riko feel suspicious. "Drink?" She offered but Riko shook her head.

"Maybe later," she said absently as her eyes scanned the floor.

"Ah, so you want _that_ kind of fun." Sayo noted, smirk growing as she glanced down the bar at Natsuo. Honestly, Riko _and _Natsuo in one night? It was almost too good to be true! She gestured down the bar and Riko curiously followed her gaze to a woman sitting at the bar, experimentally sipping at her drink. "Lady over there showed up alone. And I know for a fact she's your type."

Riko raised a brow at her old friend. "My _type_?"

Sayo nodded matter-of-factly, waving a hand. "You know. Pretty, girly, dark hair. Mentally unstable."

Riko rolled her eyes. Sayo was never going to let her live down her past record with women. "I'm going for mentally stable this time around!" She growled defensively.

"Fine, then she's perfectly mentally stable," Sayo didn't change her tone one bit.

"Which one is it?" Riko's patience rapidly wore thin as she dealt with this woman.

"I don't know, why don't you go find out yourself, lady killer?" Sayo said as she cleaned a glass. Riko grit her teeth at the thick superiority soaking the other woman's tone.

"Fine," she said through gritted teeth, making Sayo truly smirk in superiority. She was just too easy to manipulate sometimes.

Riko tilted her head in the woman's direction, a look of interest on a face despite her annoyance. "Thanks, I guess." She placed a generous tip down onto the counter before she made her way over, and Sayo snatched it up greedily.

The woman Riko was approaching seemed to sip from her drink, make a really weird face as if she was absolutely disgusted, before bringing a different cup to her lips. Riko raised a brow at that, wondering if she was spitting the contents of her drink back out into that different cup. What was the point of that? Did she wish to sample every drink? Riko quietly took a seat next to the woman, getting a better look at her profile. Sayo was at least right about one thing—this woman was indeed very pretty.

"Let me guess… recently divorced?" Riko inquired smoothly, leaning over to grasp the woman's left hand. The woman jumped at the sudden contact, turning to her.

"Um… Yes! How did you know?" She sounded so surprised, Riko might as well have told her that she could read minds.

Kurahashi smirked proudly at having guessed right. If she got that first line wrong, it would have messed her up completely! She finally looked into wide blue eyes, grinning confidently. "I couldn't help but notice the fading ring tan… line..." Riko stared at the woman's face for a few moments, eyes growing progressively wider as her mouth suddenly went completely dry. "M-Maki?!"

Maki's face was painfully unmistakable now that Riko was really looking at her, features matured since the last time she saw her. Her black hair that she had been so proud of back in the day was much shorter now, hanging just above her shoulders. But her blue eyes were the same. Devastatingly so.

Maki blinked a few times, eyebrows shooting up when she recognized the other woman as well. No one has called her "Maki" for years. "Riko..?" Her face went through several slow transformations as Riko watched in fascination. Her face went from surprised to unbelievably happy to downright heartbreaking. "RIKOPIN!" Maki threw herself at Riko, wrapping her arms around her neck and nearly bowling her right off the stool.

"Geh!" Riko clutched at the bar counter with one hand as her stool tilted backwards, threatening to send them both toppling to the floor. "Give! I give!"

Maki suddenly pulled back, grabbing Riko by the front of her shirt and pulling, this time making her lean so far forwards she was tilting in Maki's direction. "FFFFFFF-"

"You never came to my wedding!" Maki cried, looking at Riko with tearful eyes.

"Wh-wha?" Those tears were immediately Riko's kryptonite, and since she was being literally jerked around, as well as still reeling from seeing Maki again after all these years… Being coherent at the moment was just impossible.

"Why didn't you come to my wedding? Suzu, Eno, and even Sayo were there! It was supposed to be the happiest day of my life, but you ruined it!" Maki shook Riko with every word.

"Huh?" Riko tried to remove Maki's hands from her shirt, but the other woman was surprisingly strong.

"Well, not that _you _ruined it, per se," Maki switched from crying to muttering with a far off look in her eyes. "Since I now consider my wedding day to be one of the darkest days of my life."

"Eh?" Riko had no time to be confused over what was happening before Maki started shaking her again.

"Riko, I can't believe it's you!" Maki switched to gushing and an old vein practically exploded in Riko, making her reflexively grab a conveniently placed paper fan on the counter, courtesy of Sayo.

"CUT IT OUT!"

SMACK

Maki finally let go of the other woman and cradled her head, astonished that she had been hit out of the blue. "W-where did you even get that?"

"How the hell would I know!" Riko snapped in annoyance. She took a deep exasperated breath and flipped ginger hair over her shoulder. "Jesus, you haven't changed a bit!"

Maki smiled softly, that smack just now feeling oddly refreshing even if it stung a bit. "Neither have you, it seems."

Both pondered how untrue those statements were as they took each other in, but in this moment it was like nothing had ever changed.

Riko's heart was pounding so hard. She had imagined this scenario a million times, and now it was really happening. And she honestly felt _really_ happy to see this woman again. She actually might cry but she held the impulse in.

"Heh," Riko grinned fiercely at her and pulled Maki into a tight hug, nearly lifting the other woman off the ground. "It's good to see you again, Maki!" She felt Maki's small hands hesitate before they grasped the back of her shirt. Riko's chest throbbed when she even felt Maki bury her face into her neck, and felt a hint of wetness on her shirt that made Riko's eyes sting as well.

"You too, Riko!" Maki said with a voice trembling with the first bit of happiness she's felt in a long time.


End file.
